Page 1034 - The MacArthur Daily Bible
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                                                                                      OCTOBER 9
                       “Indeed we do come to You,
                        For You are the LORD our God.
                     23  Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for
                           from the hills,                 4:4 Circumcise. This surgery (Gen. 17:10–14)
                        And from the multitude of mountains;  was to cut away flesh that could hold disease
                        Truly, in the LORD our God         in its folds and could pass the disease on to
                        Is the salvation of Israel.        wives.It was important for the preservation of
                        For shame has devoured
                     24                                    God’s people physically. But it was also a sym-
                        The labor of our fathers from our  bol of the need for the heart to be cleansed
                           youth—                          from sin’s deadly disease.The essential surgery
                        Their flocks and their herds,      needed to happen on the inside, where God
                                                           calls for taking away fleshly things that keep
                        Their sons and their daughters.
                     25  We lie down in our shame,         the heart from being spiritually devoted to
                                                           Him and from true faith in Him and His will.
                        And our reproach covers us.
                                                           Jeremiah later expanded on this theme
                        For we have sinned against the LORD  (31:31–34).
                           our God,
                        We and our fathers,
                        From our youth even to this day,
                        And have not obeyed the voice of the  7  The lion has come up from his thicket,
                           LORD our God.”                      And the destroyer of nations is on his
                                                                 way.
                   4    “If you will return, O Israel,” says the   He has gone forth from his place
                           LORD,
                       “Return to Me;                          To make your land desolate.
                                                               Your cities will be laid waste,
                        And if you will put away your          Without inhabitant.
                           abominations out of My sight,    8  For this, clothe yourself with
                        Then you shall not be moved.             sackcloth,
                     2  And you shall swear, ‘The LORD lives,’  Lament and wail.
                        In truth, in judgment, and in          For the fierce anger of the LORD
                           righteousness;                      Has not turned back from us.
                        The nations shall bless themselves in
                           Him,                             9  “And it shall come to pass in that day,”
                        And in Him they shall glory.”            says the LORD,
                                                              “That the heart of the king shall perish,
                     For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah  And the heart of the princes;
                     3
                   and Jerusalem:                              The priests shall be astonished,
                       “Break up your fallow ground,           And the prophets shall wonder.”
                        And do not sow among thorns.        10  Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD!
                     4  Circumcise yourselves to the LORD,     Surely You have greatly deceived this
                        And take away the foreskins of your      people and Jerusalem,
                           hearts,                             Saying, ‘You shall have peace,’
                        You men of Judah and inhabitants of    Whereas the sword reaches to the
                           Jerusalem,                            heart.”
                        Lest My fury come forth like fire,
                                                            11  At that time it will be said
                        And burn so that no one can quench it,
                        Because of the evil of your doings.”   To this people and to Jerusalem,
                                                              “A dry wind of the desolate heights
                     5 Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem,  blows in the wilderness
                   and say:                                    Toward the daughter of My people—
                                                               Not to fan or to cleanse—
                       “Blow the trumpet in the land;       12
                        Cry, ‘Gather together,’                A wind too strong for these will come
                        And say, ‘Assemble yourselves,           for Me;
                        And let us go into the fortified       Now I will also speak judgment against
                           cities.’                              them.”
                        Set up the standard toward Zion.      “Behold, he shall come up like clouds,
                     6                                      13
                        Take refuge! Do not delay!             And his chariots like a whirlwind.
                        For I will bring disaster from the north,  His horses are swifter than eagles.
                        And great destruction.”                Woe to us, for we are plundered!”

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